5-Year Ceramic Coating

Ceramic Coating

How long does it take? The coating process itself can be completed in 1 day but if paint correction is performed prior to the coating the process can take longer. Please get in touch for an estimate.

How much does it cost? Prices from £499

How long will the coating last? With 15+ years of detailing experience I would say take the manufacturers coating life expectancy with a pinch of salt and don’t expect your paintwork to look as glossy or bead water the same for the full claimed life. For example, a 24/7 garaged, very low mileage vehicle wearing a “1-year” may get multiple years from the 1 year coating, with beading and gloss remaining pretty much consistent for years. On the other hand a car that lives outside, does average mileage and is washed once a month will perform significantly worse at the 1-year mark compared to the other vehicle. Water behaviour and gloss will be vastly different.

I use coatings with 3-5 year life claims but I use them for high levels of gloss and chemical resistance they offer. However, in reality after a couple of years a vehicle covering reasonable miles may start to show signs that the characteristics of the coating are wearing off, with water beading not being as prolific and slightly reduced gloss (this may also be in part due to slow accumulation of swirls and scratches, which affect light reflection). Even well cared for paint (especially dark colours) will start showing signs of swirls and scratches after a couple of years, especially if used every day. It’s next to impossible to keep a driven vehicle scratch-free, so I suggest every 2-3 years the car is given a light maintenance polish (and any heavier scratches tended to at the same time) and the coating reapplied. Like most things in life people typically don’t wait until something has completely failed before fixing or replacing it but instead address the problem soon after it becomes apparent. Same goes for coatings. Maintenance is key.

I think coatings that have very long life-expectancies are unnecessary. Even more unnecessary are “pro” coatings that require sand paper in order to remove. I only apply coatings I can remove safely without compromising the paint thickness. What do you do if you don’t like the look of a pro coating after it’s been applied? Unfortunately you’re stuck with it! If you were sold a coating with an 8-year life that comes with “scratch resistance” and some other unsubstantiated claims you’d be quite disappointed to learn that polishing out some swirl marks a couple of years down the line could remove that coating despite having years of its useable life remaining. The only way to remove scratches from paint is to polish them, sand them out (if you’re brave) or have the panel painted. This is exactly why I believe on vehicles that are actually driven, a coating should be used as a tool to help make your car look great while making washing easier, quicker, more enjoyable and without costing an arm and a leg to repair if a panel needs re-coated for whatever reason.

About this package:

Ceramic coatings are the most cost effective way to keep your car looking better than new for years to come without the need for repeated applications.

Prior to applying a coating your paintwork needs to be meticulously clean. Other than a thorough paint decontamination, paint polishing is the only true way to ensure old protection products such as waxes, sealants or coatings are fully removed or at least abraded to the point they’re ready to accept the coating. If applied to a surface that is less than perfectly prepped premature failure may occur as well as a reduction in the desired performance and appearance of the coated surface. Polishing can remove factory blemishes and restore the paint to its original, true colour.

New vehicles in particular benefit from ceramic coating to preserve the paint while it’s in the best condition it’ll ever be in.

Once coated please do not wash the vehicle for 7 full days to allow full curing to take place. Be very strict with this as using chemicals on the coating before 7 full days can damage the coating.

Benefits of my coating service:

• The coated vehicle will be extremely quick, easy and more enjoyable to clean.

• High chemical resistance (pH 2 - pH 13), offering strong protection against water spots, bird mess, bug etching, UV degradation, general contamination and wash marring due to the extremely slick surface.

• Very hydrophobic, slick and glossy.

Who would benefit from a ceramic coating?

Everyone! Due to the amazing chemical resistance of ceramic coatings I would highly recommend them to everyone. Paintwork is a breeze to wash once coated and wheels in particular benefit from coatings due to the inevitable build up of brake dust which can be a nightmare to remove efficiently. Ceramic coatings will speed up your cleaning process and will keep surfaces looking glossy (or matte!) for years. I also recommend everybody gets ceramic coatings on their windows as they almost completely remove the need for wipers in heavy rain, in turn increasing visibility and safety in adverse conditions. Your windscreen is also less likely to freeze when temperatures drop.

My car is ceramic coated but the water beading seems poor. Why?

This does not always mean the coating has failed. It’s important to first understand that a ceramic coating makes the coated surface slick and, in most cases, hydrophobic. If the coating is dirty or contaminated the water is then sitting on top of these contaminants and may not bead at all. This is most apparent on the lower and rear sections of the vehicle. This actually goes for all paint protection not just coatings. Contamination comes in many forms such as oily/greasy road film, tar, brake dust, road paint, paint overspray, minerals from unfiltered tap water, rain water contamination, chemical residue, road salt minerals and even by topping the coating with less hydrophobic types of protective products such as spray waxes or detailing sprays. Specific chemicals and products can be used to remove each of these types of contamination.

A great benefit of high-end coatings is they can easily withstand the chemicals used to remove such contamination and in fact benefit from the occasional use of these (when needed of course) by keeping the coating “bare”, thus allowing it to continue to do it’s job. If you do not keep a coated surface clean contamination builds up which then “clogs” or masks the coated surface. Regular washing every few weeks and bi-annual (or as needed) decontamination is critical to keeping a coating performing and looking its best.

Don’t expect miracles:

Don’t believe everything you see on social media, coatings will not prevent scratches, they will not completely prevent bugs from etching the paint, they will not prevent bird mess from etching if left long enough. Coatings will aid in removing these things but they are by no means impenetrable and I do not sell them as such. Always care for a coated vehicle the same way you would an uncoated one, just enjoy the benefits of the maintenance process being made easier and quicker with added UV and chemical protection. Think of a coated car much like a coated frying pan - they’re much easier to keep clean compared to a stainless steel pan, but you still need to clean them regularly.

I enjoy applying wax or sealant to my car - can I apply it over my ceramic coating?

Yes you can. But be careful to avoid any products containing abrasives that may abrade the ceramic coating. If you find waxing your car enjoyable or therapeutic, of course you can apply a wax over it. Just be aware you may mask the effects of the coating and inhibit the self-cleaning ability. The ceramic coating will still be there to protect the paintwork from chemicals and UV, but remember a coating will always perform best when left “bare” or topped with the manufacturers maintenance topper product.

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